xXInkedPhoenixX

The worst part is, albinos already look like they're dead. I'd be poking at them to make sure there are still signs of life!

OTOCINCLUS VITTATUS AND COCAMA: From the Accidental to the Parent Tank PART 2 On my days off it was again time to move some Vittatus from the Accidental to the Parent tank. I'd decided to catch another 15 as I did last time only this time there would only be Vittatus since the Cocama are already all moved. Everyone in the Parent tank seem to be doing really well- though I skipped this week's water testing my Seachem Ammonia Alert was its usual cheery yellow (no ammonia) and I did a little cleaning of the new HOB since it got a little clogged from my moving stuff around prior to the new fish. So I took some stuff out of the Accidental tank and lowered the water level and went about catching little Otos (the most I caught at a time was 2- they are ridiculously fast and sneaky). I eventually did catch the 15 and put them all in my ACO catch cup with a little tank water. I acclimated them with a cup of water every 15 with Parent tank water (since parameters are typically the same but temp is a little lower in the Parent tank). Once they're caught they were actually pretty calm with occasional group freak outs when I approached but everyone looked good/healthy. Here is a short Google video of the release: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Um6vs9eCSWqQedFBA A pic just prior to it: So now there are 30 Accidental Otos in the Parent tank with the 14-20 some-odd Parent Tank Otos. They are so tiny in this 20 gallon so I'm not surprised the tank is able to maintain so many (the 10 gallon has never had an issue with a HOB and Sponge). I'm not sure how many I have left in the Accidental tank- at least 15 more but next week I might be able to say I've moved them all to their now permanent home. What's cool is I think now because there are so many I get to see them more often. I can spot about 10 at a time now hanging out at the front of the tank, mostly along that piece of Spiderwood you can see in the front right corner (just so happened to be Momma Oto's favorite spot to lay eggs). I can't say that I've seen her- she may have been run off by all the new comers (they're a lot smaller than her so that's why I think that)- but since they're a non aggressive species I'm sure she's fine. I am really liking this species only tank.

Skip the pea puffer. They are notoriously difficult fish to keep.

My nitrAtes are ALWAYS at 40 in 3 of my 5 tanks. I must have some tough fish because nobody seems to be complaining.

@Patrick_G they are super nice, sturdy (possibly dog proof 😉) Almost wish they made bigger ones!

....finally!

Nope, I just clip and plop into a little jar with water, wait until they get long enough for whatever project I need them for (usually only a couple weeks) and ta da! The one I started for the Accidental Oto tank months prior to the Scapes project is still going but very small.....but the Scapes Spider....it's a monster already (organic soil with bat poop and 3 drops of Easy Green a week probably helps). (was trying to post a side by side of the plant but my tech is deciding to fight with me, I'll do it later)

My mum has a peace lily in a water vase, nothing else there (no dirt, ferts, etc). It's been going for years so it theoretically should work. It might have been with her Betta a very long time ago. I'd probably do what I do with pothos and spider plants, let it be in water for a little bit then transplant it (just in case there is something in the soil that wouldn't be good in my tanks).

If you want to go full sanitation I guess I would pull the plants and do a hydrogen peroxide dip, then put them in QT with the snails. I would raise the temp in that tank as high as your heater would go with salt for a week or 2. That should sanitize as far as Ich goes but might break your cycle.

We all encounter the hard lessons in this hobby that's for sure....sorry friend 😔 At least we can say we learned something any future fish will benefit from it.

It is very stressful. The first time I treated it I treated it with heat and medication (as it speeds up the lifecycle of Ich and hopefully that means treatment time) but higher heat depletes oxygen (so you need to add air) and can speed up decay (and spike ammonia). My fish also seemed very uncomfortable. So though most of them made it through (at the time the tank had 10 Harlequins and 7 Otos, 6 Otos didn't make it- I think they started the infection) - the next time I treated I did no heat just meds- this took a LOT longer but I had no losses. It's a difficult disease- but I really think the key is to catch and treat it early- it's a gamble beyond that.

No unfotunately with Ich it does not. Some say that Ich just lives in most of our tanks but if our fish have healthy immune systems it doesn't rear its head. Nobody knows for SURE. It's an opportunistic parasite. I've treated 3 different tanks with Ich- the earlier you catch it the better chance you have. The little dots are diabolical. I usually do a physical inspection on as many fish as I can when I feed them and look for the evil little things (as well as any number of other warning signs).

I say embrace it- lots of people I've seen around the net trying to achieve and KEEP green water I hear both are hard. Post lots of updates! (Cory has mentioned it too in a positive way)

I'm very sorry Gail, this is never any fun. The heater could have been an issue as it's the only thing you changed, did you gradually lower the temperature before you pulled the heater? And then did you gradually turn the heat up (over a period of a day or few depending on what you were going from/to)? If not the temperature flux could have caused stress that caused an Ich outbreak. Now, if you did gradually lower and raise temps the only other thing I can think of is that maybe the temp got too low for the Harlequins? The Greens are more tolerant (68 degrees). Some sites say Harlequins low end is 73. This could have caused stress and then the outbreak, do you know how low your temp went? Can you think of any other changes prior to the outbreak? No matter how big or small?

I have 10 Black Neons in a 20 tall- and similar to other Neons I've seen do this they kind of split up when nothing is going on. If I approach the tank everyone circles the wagons so to speak. They might school more in bigger tanks with larger numbers but I don't have experience with that. NOW, my HARLEQUIN RASBORAS, they are ALWAYS together.

I get it. Fry are so hard to take a picture of. I have a solo CPD fry and the window between them being stationary long enough and my stupid phone camera focusing on it adequately enough to not look like the Big Foot photo of the fish world is slim to none.

That's incredible. Really. Picture of said Super Fry when you get a chance please, preferably wearing a cape.

(oh and after you've taken the advice multiple times you know whose advice works best for you- kinda like youtube- so far Cory's videos work best and make the most sense for me- this has been proven in the advice that I've followed from him and his channel multiple times so I go to him more often than others)

Ahh @Karen B., I get it. I've given advice that in my experience works here on the forum several times- the person asking the question understands and thanks me then someone else comes along and says the (or nearly) opposite- so yeah I get how people would be confused. It's not that the other person is wrong (or that I'm right) it's that in THEIR experience what they say ALSO worked for them. Research is great but this is not a math equation when it comes to aquariums- yes there's science involved but there are too many factors that effect outcomes, water sources, substrate, plants, filtration, fish species AND the INDIVIDUAL FISH (like Betta temperments range from wallflower up to angry ball of fins)- and so on and so forth ad nauseam. When asking the questions you ask you have to weigh the information- scales tip from one side to the other. Personally advice from people who have kept the fish or done the thing weighs more than those who have heard or read about said subject (but those count too, just maybe not as heavily). Kind of like when you read reviews for products on say Amazon- the truth is somewhere in the middle of it- but what you do see is what people hated about it and what the loved about it- do those things matter to you? You toss out the things that don't and keep the things you do. Every tank is an experiment in one way or another- there's a lot of gray here. That's frustrating for people who think in black and white terms but it's great practice to learn- you can weigh all this out then do what you feel is best and it may not work- or it may be brilliant- you have to use your judgement. It's not that shocking really- every pet is different, every child is different, every environment is different- so what works for one doesn't for the other or even sorta works for them. Life is beautiful that way.

Welcome to the forum! Love the tanks!

I agree, try it, they'll let you know if they like it or not. It's nice when you can repurpose something you already have.

@SJ fishing per the website they are 3.5L X 1.25 W X 2.75 H, not very big.

Yeah that's what makes me think it would be ok and if I saw anything funky go on with it I could remove it.

These huts are made from resin which most aquarium decor is also made of. I'd say as long as the color is IN the resin it should be fine- the only concern would be if it's painted the paint could come off with constant exposure to water. It may not even be an issue then but you take that chance. I've put a few things in my tank made of resin that weren't specifically made for aquariums and it's all turned out fine! (Fish like plecos could also scrape the paint off, which I wouldn't like so much- I'd be concerned for them)

TAP is amazing, there is so much they are able to do. Specifically for aquariums, I've had them cut me pieces for replacement glass lids.